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Find out more about SSE

SSE’s purpose is to responsibly provide the energy and related services needed now and in the future. It aims to be a leading provider of energy and related services in a low-carbon world. Its strategy is to create value for shareholders and society from developing, owning and operating energy and related infrastructure and services in a sustainable way. These are the four pillars of the SSE strategy. Delivery of this strategy is dependent on the shared talent, skills and values of people throughout SSE.

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Creating value for shareholders and society

SSE’s vision is to be a leading energy provider in a low-carbon world. To achieve this we have set four fundamental goals for 2030 which put sustainability at heart of SSE’s business strategy. These goals aren’t just important to SSE, they matter to everyone – that’s why they are directly linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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SSE's strategy is to deliver the efficient operation of, and investment in, a balanced range of economically-regulated and market-based businesses in energy production, storage, transmission, distribution, supply and related services in the energy markets in Great Britain and Ireland.

Beatrice

Category: Renewables

Energy type: Offshore wind

Project type: Project

The £2.6bn Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) project has been given the green light for construction by owners SSE (40%), Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) (35%) and Red Rock Power Limited (25%) after reaching Financial Close on 23 May 2016. The project will be one of the largest private investments ever made in Scottish infrastructure.

The 588MW, 84 turbine, wind farm will be situated in the Outer Moray Firth and is expected to power approximately 450,000 homes (around three times the number of homes in the Moray and Highland regions).

Construction at the new £10m operations and maintenance facility in Wick and the transmission works in Moray will commence this year. Offshore construction will begin in 2017 and the wind farm is expected to become fully operational in 2019.

Beatrice is expected to bring a range of socio-economic benefits to the local, regional, Scottish and UK economies during both the construction and operational phases. Expected opportunities include job creation, skills training, investment in Scottish ports and harbours, supply chain opportunities and community benefit funding.

The wind farm is being developed with a tier 1 supply chain comprising Seaway Heavy Lifting, Subsea 7, Nexans and Siemens and is expected to deliver c. £680m into the UK and Scottish economy via employment and supply chain opportunities during the construction phase and c. £400m- £525m during the wind farm’s 25 year operational life.

In 2015 we held three supply chain events through SSE’s Open4Business procurement portal, engaging with interested businesses and providing information on possible contracts. If you were unable to attend the events, the slides presented by BOWL, Open4Business and our Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors can found below. To view the latest opportunities please visit and register for free on the Open4Business portal.

More information

November 2016 engagement events

As part of our ongoing engagement activities, we undertook a round of public drop in events in November 2016 at Portgordon, Buckie and Wick. Also present were representatives from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks who were on hand to talk about their Caithness Moray HVDC project which has construction activities underway near to the Beatrice sites.

The events were positive and very well attended with those dropping in able to find out more about our progress and upcoming works in Moray, around Wick and offshore. They also had the opportunity to chat to members of the project team and have their questions answered.

If you were not able to attend, you can view the information boards shown by clicking the links below:

With its proximity to the Beatrice offshore wind turbines and with the availability of suitable quayside facilities, Wick Harbour has been chosen as the location for the projects Operations and Maintenance (O&M) base. The base will be required for the 25 year lifespan of the Beatrice wind farm to facilitate the commissioning, operation and maintenance of the turbines in a safe and efficient manner.

A number of design options for the base have been assessed including a new build on the Telford Jetty which was presented at a public engagement event in March 2016. However, on 24 August 2016, the BOWL Board approved the option to renovate and utilise two dis-used industrial buildings, located in the historic Conservation area of Lower Pulteneytown as the basis for the O&M base.

The proposed development refers to two partial blocks of Lower Pulteneytown buildings fronting east onto Harbour Quay and bounded on their north and south elevations by Saltoun Street, Telford Street and Burn Street. They form part of Thomas Telford’s 1807 plan for the Pulteney Village and Harbour area. The client for the original development was the British Fisheries Society and land plots were advertised for sale from 1808, with the stipulation that they could only be used by fishermen, fish curers or those employed by them.

We held a public engagement event at Mackays Hotel on Wednesday 14 September where we presented our proposals to interested members of the public and other stakeholders. It was a very well attended event, with around 150 attendees who were all supportive of our proposals.

If you were unable to join us at the event, you can view the information presented by clicking below:

Green light for construction of £2.6bn Beatrice offshore wind farm in Moray Firth which will boost economy by up to £680m

23 May 2016

The £2.6bn Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) project has been given the green light for construction by owners SSE (40%), Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) (35%) and SDIC Power (25%) after the project reached Financial Close. The project will be one of the largest private investments ever made in Scottish infrastructure.

The 588MW, 84 turbine project, situated in the Outer Moray Firth, was consented by the Scottish Government in March 2014 and granted an Investment Contract by the UK Government in May 2014.

Today’s [23 May] decision signals the green light for manufacturing and construction to begin. Work at the operations and maintenance facility in Wick and the transmission works in Moray will commence this year. Offshore construction will begin in 2017. The wind farm is expected to become fully operational in 2019.

Beatrice is expected to bring a range of socio-economic benefits to the local, regional, Scottish and UK economies during both the construction and operational phases. Expected opportunities include job creation, skills training, investment in Scottish ports and harbours, supply chain opportunities and community benefit funding.

Paul Cooley, Director of Renewables at SSE, stated: “We are delighted that Beatrice has achieved Financial Close and we are extremely grateful for all of the support received throughout the development of the project from stakeholders such as the Scottish Government, DECC, HIE, the Highland Council, Moray Council and local communities. Contracts have already been placed with many UK based suppliers, and Siemens intend to undertake turbine blade construction from Siemen’s new manufacturing facility in Hull.

“Around £10m of investment is planned at Wick Harbour to house the wind farm’s operations and maintenance facilities and improving the existing RNLI facilities. We expect a peak of around 65 jobs during construction of the O and M base with around 90 long-term jobs anticipated during the operational phase.

“Today’s decision reaffirms SSE’s commitment to offshore wind and we are proud to progress such a flagship project for the Scottish offshore wind industry and the UK’s skilled supply chain. It shows SSE will continue to play its part in investing in the critical energy infrastructure the country needs to power homes across the UK both today and in the future.”

The wind farm is being developed with a tier 1 supply chain comprising Seaway Heavy Lifting, Subsea 7, Nexans and Siemens and is expected to deliver c. £680m into the UK and Scottish economy via employment and supply chain opportunities during the construction phase and c. £400m - £525m during the wind farm’s 25 year operational life. Three supply chain events were held last year through SSE’s Open4Business procurement portal to engage with interested businesses and provide information on possible contracts.

Christina G. Sorensen, Senior Partner in CIP, said: “CIP’s investment in Beatrice represents one of the largest commitments from a financial sponsor to an offshore wind project, and follows our investment in the German offshore wind project Veja Mate in June 2015. CIP has a long track record in offshore wind and in accordance with our investment strategy, we decided to enter the project in the late development phase in November 2014. Thereby CIP has been able to actively engage in the sourcing strategy and contract execution where the fundamental risk profile of the project is decided.

“CIP’s ambition is to be a proactive financial investor and project partner in the development, construction and operations phase. The project will deliver clean, green and affordable renewable energy based on a stable investment contract price and a 15 year inflation linked revenue stream. It’s a great project with very capable partners and SSE as the experienced operator, and we look forward to continue the cooperation in the many years to come.”

Yang Lin, at SDIC Power stated: “We are delighted to see the Financial Close for Beatrice. This milestone is achieved as a result of all parties’ dedication and collaboration. Beatrice is SDIC Power’s first exposure to the European offshore wind market, and we fully believe it has a promising future. We will continue to work closely with our partners and we expect Beatrice to contribute more to the region’s economy.”

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Amber Rudd said: “The UK is the world leader in offshore wind; and this industry, backed by the UK Government and benefiting from our access to the EU single market, is a success story going from strength to strength.

“This project will provide home-grown clean energy boosting skills and creating jobs and financial security for working people and their families in Scotland, and across the UK.”

Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Business, Innovation & Energy in the Scottish Government, said: “This is great news for the industry and I congratulate the owners SSE, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and SDIC Power on achieving this significant milestone in the development of this multi-billion pound infrastructure project.

“The Beatrice Offshore Windfarm has the opportunity to deliver so much to Caithness and Scotland as a whole, in terms of employment and community benefit. Scotland’s renewables sector is stronger than ever and our early adoption of clean, green energy technology and infrastructure was the right thing to do. Renewables are now Scotland’s biggest electricity generator, and nearly half of gross electricity consumption comes from renewables.

“Scotland is well on course to meet its interim renewables target and is delivering a strong contribution to global climate efforts. I look forward to this project contributing to our green energy mix.”

Ronnie Quinn, General Manager of The Crown Estate’s Scotland Portfolio - the business which manages leasing of the seabed and granted a lease for the Beatrice project - said:

“It’s incredibly exciting to see this project given the final go ahead. Any offshore wind farm of this scale is a very complex development - putting the finance and final lease in place for Beatrice is a huge achievement that will result in investment and jobs at a local, regional and national level. We look forward to continuing to support the team.”

Onshore Electricity Transmission Works Public Exhibitions

07 November 2014

Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) has submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) for the BOWL onshore transmission works. The onshore transmission works includes the installation of all infrastructure required to connect the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm to the onshore National Grid. The offshore cable is proposed to fall onto land at Portgordon and is expected to connect from there, via underground cables, at Blackhillock substation, near Keith.

BOWL’s grid connection route was approved in principal in February 2013 by Moray Council’s Planning and Regulatory Services Committee. The PAN provides information on BOWL’s plans to submit a detailed planning application for the route which will be considered by Moray Council once the application has been submitted.

To allow local residents to view the details of the proposal and provide feedback on our plans before the submission of the application, drop-in public consultation events will be held on Wednesday 19th November at Portgordon Community Centre and Thursday 20th November at the Longmore Hall, Keith. For further information please click here.

SSE secures a new partner for Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm Ltd (BOWL)

06 November 2014

SSE has today agreed to sell a portion of its shareholding in the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm to fund management company Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). The terms of the agreement reflect the costs of developing the project to its current stage. This sale aligns with SSE's strategic review of its offshore wind portfolio in March 2014 and secures an additional strong partner to take the project forward to a Final Investment Decision. After the acquisition, SSE will own a 50% share of the BOWL project, CIP will own 25% with Repsol maintaining its ownership of the remaining 25%.

Brian McFarlane, BOWL Project Director said:

"The Beatrice project has continued to make significant progress since our review of offshore development projects in March this year, achieving consent and securing an Investment Contract from the UK Government. Whilst there is still a significant amount of work to be done, this latest milestone allows the project to continue progressing towards a Final Investment Decision in 2016. We will be working closely with Repsol, CIP and our supply chain partners, to further reduce costs and refine the development and construction programme."

Scottish Government consents Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm

19 March 2014

Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL), a joint venture partnership formed between SSE Renewables (75%) and Repsol Nuevas Energias UK (25%), welcome today’s decision by Marine Scotland to grant consent to the £3bn Beatrice offshore wind farm project, situated in the Outer Moray Firth. The announcement marks another positive step in the BOWL project’s development following almost five years of engagement, constructive dialogue, environmental studies, engineering surveys and assessments. BOWL would like to thank all stakeholders and consultees for their input into the development process so far.

The wind farm has the potential to generate up to 750MW of renewable energy and bring a range of socio-economic opportunities through construction and operation, helping to create a new industry in the Moray Firth area. If BOWL decides to go ahead with the wind farm, it is expected to support a significant number of jobs during the construction phase, generate long term employment in the Moray Firth area throughout the operational lifetime of the offshore wind farm and create opportunities for local and Scottish businesses which will be easily accessible through SSE’s Open4Business Portal for the Highlands and Islands / Moray.

The project consent marks a positive step forward for BOWL, and it will now assess how to progress Beatrice over the coming months, taking account of all of the public policy, procurement and other issues that have to be considered before a final investment decision can be made.

Richard Escott, Head of Offshore Development for SSE Renewables, said:

“SSE Renewables and our joint venture partner Repsol are delighted that Marine Scotland has granted consent to the Beatrice offshore wind farm. The project could represent a substantial investment in the Moray Firth region and could bring significant benefits and exciting opportunities to the local economy through construction and operation. BOWL will continue to engage closely with all key stakeholders, including both the UK and Scottish governments, to address the commercial and regulatory challenges and enable what would be an important asset for the UK energy system, Scottish offshore wind industry and Moray Firth communities to progress.”